1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to surgical instruments, and more particularly to a forceps.
2. Background Information
The surgeon uses a forceps to grasp, hold, and manipulate objects during various surgical procedures. Doing this with a properly designed forceps greatly facilitates such procedures, especially in such delicate work as tying sutures in the cornea following cataract surgery or corneal transplantation. This makes the details of forceps design particularly important.
In using a forceps for tying sutures during cataract and corneal surgery, for example, the surgeon may proceed with the aid of an operating microscope to manipulate a very small suture through very delicate tissue in the human eye. With great skill and utmost care, the surgeon then knots the suture and pulls on the knot to tighten it to a desired tension. Too much tension can tear the tissue or otherwise impair healing and too little tension may fail to retain the tissue in the desired position, allowing extrusion of intraocular contents, or entry of infectious organisms into the eye.
But despite the surgeon's skill and care, improper tension may be applied when manipulating a suture or other object with the forceps. Consequently, it is desirable to have some way to alleviate this concern.